The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-11-12
THE NATIONS GROWTH.
Lord sheficld's Prophesies Regarding tho
Resources Of our Country, "a

Resources Of our Country. ssu
Here Is curious fact, which illus
tratos our unexpected expansion in
territory and popu,a alton. just after
the revolutionary war Lord Sheffield
published book in London entitled.
observations on the Commerce of
the American States" sheffield was,
To be sure, not ovcrfricndly 10 us, his
loyalty TO the Crown giving possible
color 10 his views, but he was sup
posed to bc careful and shrewd OBJ
server At any rate, his statements
were received in England as reliable,
aud they acted rs balm To the
British disappointment at the loss Of
the colonies.
lie declared unrcservedly that the
American continent was practically
valueless for commercial purposes. lt
was simply vast wilderness which
could never be thickly populated, with
certain natural obstacles which rem
dcred any extensive commerce impos-
siblc. The States on the Atlantic sea-
board, he admitted might in time rise
TO some Importance. but the vast tract
Of inland territory was hardly worth
consideration. lie vcnturod the pre-
diction that settlers beyond the Al
lcghany mountains can not become
commcrciar' because there Is no pos
sible outlet 10 tho sea for their pro-
duets. These mountains. his Lord
ship declared. were barrier TO pros
pcrity that could never be overcome.
IL he could return from his grave
now. start In Pullman car from Phil
adelphia, travel over the Allcghcnics
at n speed which would mako each par
ticular hair stand on end. aud 40 on
for seven days and nights at the samo
ratio Of speed through countless viii
lagos, towns and crowded citics.
through what was i'm his day m almost
impcnotrable forest. over the prairics.
Of which he never dreamed. and thcnco
over the Rockies. TO find an immense
population ON tho Pacific coast. hc
would probably entertain as slender
an opinion of his pl ophctic powers as
we do.
II he had been told. after the puDli-
cation Of his book, that this great will
derncss, which no believed TO be bar
rior To our western advance, would DO
changed into fields of grain. upon
which English Lords and English work
men would largely depend for their
daily bread; that the Mississippi river.
i'm the course of three genoIa ations
would flow through the geographical
center OF republic numbering sixty
millions Of people. and that the whole
continent Of Europe would be yearly
dependent upon tho abundance of our
crops. his Lordship would have looked
upon the speaker as n fanatic or mad.
man.
AT the timo when Lord Sheffield
made his lugub rious prophecy The to-
tai area Of the United States was S27.-
SIi square miles. In 1903 the Province
of Louisiana was coded. containing an
area Of |, III. 93l square miles, and cx-
tending northward from the mouths ~
the Mississippi 10 tho British posses
sions, and westward 10 the Pacific
ocean. In 1919 we acquired Florida,
80. 3GS square miles; in 1SI5 Texas.
containing $40, 1873 square miles; in
lS4S the first Mexican cession Of 5ij.-
7S3 square miles was made; in 1853
second Mexican ccssion Of ~. b35 square
miles. and lastly. In 1867 the Russian
ccssion Of Alaska. containing 577. $3.50
square miles. This makes the total
area Of the United States 3 COS. SSi
square miles, or more than four times
what It was in 1887.
The present size Of the Republic and
our exhaustlcss material resources
emphasizes our responsibilities and
duties as American citzons. N L.
Herdid.